''Batang West Side'' (also known as ''West Side Avenue'' and ''West Side Kid'') is a 2001 Philippine

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

. The film written and directed by

Lav Diaz Lavrente Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. He is frequently known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, and has made several of the longest narrative films on reco ...

based on his 1997 Palanca Award winning screenplay. Its cast includes

Gloria Diaz Maria Gloria Aspillera Diaz (; born April 5, 1951) is a Filipino actress, model and beauty queen who won Miss Universe 1969, becoming the first Filipino to hold the Miss Universe title. Early life and family Diaz is one of the twelve children ...

, Raul Arellano,

Joel Torre José Rizalino "Joel" de León Torre (born June 19, 1961) is a Filipino actor and producer who is best known for his numerous films such as the biographical film ''José Rizal'' (1998), crime thriller film '' On the Job'' (2013) and the histor ...

and

Angel Aquino Angelita Grace Velasquez Aquino (born February 7, 1973) is a Filipino actress, fashion model, and television personality. Prominent in independent films, she has also worked on Television in the Philippines, television shows of varying genres, ...

. The film gives an inside look at the life of Filipinos in America. With this murder mystery set against the idea of the American Dream, Filipino director Lav Diaz broke into the worldwide arthouse film market.

Cast

Yul Servo John Marvin "Yul Servo" Cruz Nieto (born February 22, 1977) is a Filipino actor and politician who has served as the 28th Vice Mayor of Manila since 2022. Early life Nieto, nicknamed "Jon-Jon" as a child, was born in Calumpit, Bulacan, and ...

as Hanzel Harana *

as Juan Mijares *

as Lolita Fordham *

as Elvira Pareño

Accolades

The film won several awards at the Urian Honors, including Best Picture, Best Director (Lav Diaz), Best Screenplay (Lav Diaz), Best Cinematography, Best Actor (Joel Torre), Best Supporting Actress (Gloria Diaz), Best Supporting Actor, Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Score (Joey Ayala). It won Best Picture at the

Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Simplified Chinese, Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore, founded in 1987. The 35th Singapore International Film Festival took place from 28 Novem ...

and the Belgium Independent Film Festival.

References

External links

* {{Lav Diaz 2001 films 2001 crime drama films Philippine coming-of-age films Philippine coming-of-age drama films Philippine crime films Philippine drama films 2000s Tagalog-language films Films set in New Jersey Films shot in New Jersey 2000s English-language films Films directed by Lav Diaz English-language crime drama films

Cast

Accolades

See also

References

External links